Unit turnover system

ABSTRACT

A turnover system for concrete blocks and the like units comprising two support members pivoted about a common substantially horizontal axis and means to oscillate said support members towards and away from each other and in such a way that the unit supported on a first member will be engaged by the second member before the unit has started to turn away from said first member under the action of gravity, whereby the units are gently turned on their sides without damage thereto.

United States Patent Inventors Pierre Gagnon;

Pierre La Forest, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Appl. No. 775,974 Filed Oct. 1, 1968 Patented Jan. 5, 1971 Assignee Paco Corporation Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada UNIT TURNOVER SYSTEM 11 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl 214/1, 198/3 3 Int. Cl B25j 3/00, B65 g 47/24 Field of Search l98/33R4; 2 1 4/ lRA [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,365,007 12/19'44 Rideout l98/33(4R) 2,851,147 9/1958 l-lageline l98/33(4R) Primary Examiner-Richard E. Aegerter Attorney-Pierre Lesperance ABSTRACT: A turnover system for concrete blocks and the like units comprising two support members pivoted about a common substantially horizontal axis and means to oscillate said support members towards and away from each other and in such a way that the unit supported on a first member will be engaged by the second member before the unit has started to turn away from said first member under the action of gravity, whereby the units are gently turned on their sides without damage thereto.

PATENTEUJAH 519m 355 581 sum 1 BF 2 INVENTORS Piwre GA GN ON f; LFQRES 7 AGENT UNIT TURNOVER SYSTEM The present invention relates to a turnover system for concrete blocks and other articles having or forming a block shape.

In a system for stacking concrete blocks including units of several concrete slabs, it is often necessary to turn certain or all of the units on their sides to make the stack.

7 Existing turnover devices for accomplishing this operation often result in chipped or broken blocks, because the blocks are allowed to fall on their side faces when turned. Similar disadvantages often exist when turning containers of relatively fragile articles.

It is therefore the general object of the present invention to provide means overcoming the above-noted disadvantage.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of two support members applied against two faces of the unit to confine the unit during the turnover operation.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a turnover device of the character described, combined with a conveyor system feeding the blocks to and discharging the same from the turnover device.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a turnover device of the character described, in which the support member which serves to prevent the unit from turning under gravity during the turnover operation, becomes itself a positive conveyor when in unit-discharging position to thereby discharge the unit immediately upon the turning operation being completed.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a system of the character described, which can turn all kinds of articles having block-shaped configurations and including articles which can be stacked to form a block.

. ,The foregoing and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent during the following disclosure and by referring to the drawings, in which;

FIG. 1 is a broken side elevation, partially in section, of the turnover device of the present invention;

FIGS. 2 to 8 are side schematic views showing the sequence of operation of the turnover device, in which a stack of concrete slabs are being turned over through 90;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view, partially broken away, of the system shown in FIG. 1', and i FIG. is a side elevation, on a smaller scale, of the turnover device associated with a feeding and a discharge conveyor.

In the drawings, like reference characters indicate like elements throughout.

Reference numeral 1 indicates a framework supporting the various elements of the invention. Said framework includes longitudinal horizontally disposed spaced parallel frame members 2 which support a feeding conveyor system 3, as shown in FIG. 10, or any other means for feeding the blocks or units to the turnover device. Conveyor 3 may consist of a plate and of endless chains 4 on each side of the plate and to which is secured a crossbar 5 overlying the plate for displacing blocks or stacks of slabs, shown at S, in the direction of arrow 6. The feeding conveyor is driven in a stop-and-go fashion, the conveyor chains being driven by gear wheels 7, in turn driven by a large diameter gear wheel 8, itself driven by a hydraulic motor 9. The shaft carrying wheels 7 and 8 also drives a wheel 10, on the shaft of which are mounted finger carrying wheels for actuating limit switches, not shown, to stop and start hydraulic motor 9.

Mounted between frame members 2 and supported by the same, is a discharge conveyor, generally indicated at 11, and having its top run travelling in the direction of arrow 12.

Intermediate the discharge end of feeding conveyor 3 and the input end of discharge conveyor ll, is located the turnover device in accordance with the invention, generally shown at 13. I

This device comprises a first support member comprising side arms 14, to which is secured a plate which extends between the two arms 14. The arms 14 are pivoted at one end to frame members 2 by means of coaxial stud shafts 16 disposed on a horizontal axis transverse to the direction of movement of the two conveyors 3 and 11.

A second support member is pivoted on the same stud shafts l6 and comprises a second pair of arms 17, pivoted on stud shafts 16, and freely rotatable tubular rollers 18 extending between and supported by arms 17. Thus, the first and second support members are oppositely directed and are pivoted about a common axis extending substantially horizontally transverse to the direction of movement of the two conveyors.

The outermost tubular member '18 of the second support member is disposed adjacent a tubular roller 19 supported by frame members 2 and arranged adjacent the input end of discharge conveyor 11.

The output end of feeding conveyor 3 terminates adjacent a fixed transfer plate 20 secured to the framework 1 and disposed adjacent the plate 15 of the first support member in the lowered position of the latter. Plate 20 forms part'of the turnover device. In the rest position of the two support members, as shown in FIG. 1, the top unit supporting surfaces of plate 15 and of the rollers 18 lie in a substantially common horizontal plane and coplanar with the top surfaces of transfer plate 20 and of roller 19. The axis of stud shafts 16 is at sub- The outer end of each arm 14 of the first support member is pivotally connected to a connecting rod or crank arm 21, which is preferably adjustable in length, the other end of which is pivoted at 22 to the side'of a cam 23 at a distance from shaft 24 of said cam.

There is a cam 23 on each side of the turnover device and the two cams are secured to the transverse shaft 24, which is driven at constant speed through gear 25, pinion 26 and hydraulic motor 27. This motor is controlled for stop-and-go operation, for instance by finger carrying wheels secured to shaft 10 and actuating limit switches (not shown).

A cam follower arm 28 is pivoted to the framework 1 at 29, extends across cam 23 on which it rests by means of the cam follower wheel 28 carried by the arm 28. The outer end of arm 28 is pivotally connected to the outer end of arm 17 of the second support member by means of a link 30.

When the second support member is in lowered position, its tubular rollers 18 bear against driving belts31, which also drive tubular roller 19. The driving belts 31 are trained on idle pulleys 32 and driven through pulleys 33 and driving belt 34 by the output of a speed reducer 35, in turn driven by an electric motor 35'.

Cam 23 has a circular portion 36 on which normally rests the follower wheel 28' when the second support member is in lowered position.

This circular portion 36 is followed with respect to the direction of rotation of the cam, shown by arrow A, by a straight portion 37 to cause the upward pivoting of the second support member, said straight portion 37 being followed by a curved portion 38, in turn followed by a spiral portion 39' merging with circular portion 36.

The angular relationship of pivot 22 and the curved portion 39 of the cam are such that connecting rod 21 moves its associated first support member through the top of its oscillating movement when cam followerwheel 28 engages curved portion 39 of the cam. Inversely, the angular relationship of pivot 22 and portion 36 is such that the latter is engaged by cam follower 28 when connecting rod 21 moves the first support member through the bottom of its oscillating movement.

The first support member accomplishes an oscillating sinusoidal movement under the action of connecting rod 21 from an initial position substantially in alignment with the discharge end of the feeding conveyor and the fixed plate 20 through an inclined intermediate position, in which the blocks, or slabs, on the same would fall off plate 15 under the action of gravity, to finally attain a limit inclined position.

The minimum rate of angular movement of the first member occurs when the latter goes through its initial and limit posi- 'tions.

The'second support member accomplishes an oscillating movement under the action of the cam follower arm 28.

"FIG. 2 shows the lower limit positions of the two support members in alignment with the feeding and discharge conveyors. FIG. 3 shows the upward movement of the second support members, first fast and then decelerating during which cam follower wheel 29 moves along the cam portions 37 and 38L Thesecond support member thus takes a limit position at substantially right angles to the first support member before the latter has reached an intermediate position from which the blocks would tend to fall off the first support member, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Then, the second support member moves back and in unison with the first support member during the transitional period wherein the center of gravity of the block or unit moves past the pivotal axis of the two support "members, as shown in FIG. 5, whereby the weight of the blocks is transferred to the second support member without the blocks having changed their position with respect to the first support member. These positions are shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

When the center of gravity of the stack of slabs or of the block held between the two support members, has moved on the downstream side of the pivotal axis, as shown in FIG. 6, the second support member gradually moves down, the cam follower wheel 28' engaging the spiral portion 39, while the first support member moves from its limit inclined position to again take its initial rest position, this being shown in FIG. 7. Finally, the two support members are in substantial alignment with the respective feeding and discharge conveyors.

In this last-named lowered position of the second support member, the tubular rollers 18 come into engagement with the driving belts 31. and are caused to rotate in a direction to discharge the stack of slabs or the block on the second support member, whereby the unit is positively transferred to the discharge conveyor ll.

As shown in FIG. 10, the feeding conveyor may feed successive units of slabs S standing on edge, each unit moved onto fixed transfer plate 20 and then pushed by the next unit onto the lowered plate of the first support member until the front side face of the unit on said plate 15 is in alignment with the common axis of the pivot bolts 16, this being determined, for instance, by the photoelectric cell 40, and a light emitter 41 which are in alignment with the common pivotal axis 16, cell 40 causing stopping of the feeding conveyor and also starting of the hydraulic motor 27 of the turnover device 13. After the turnover device has accomplished a full cycle as determined, for example, by limit switches actuated by suitable fingers (not shown) mounted on shaft 24, the latter stops.

When the turnover device has accomplished its cycle, the control circuit starts operation of the feeding conveyor to feed another block or another unit of slabs S, which pushes the slabs already of fixed plate onto the first support member, namely lowered plate 15.

Fixed transfer plate 20 takes care of different widths of blocks or units of slabs being fed to and turned over by the mechanism.

The second support member need not comprise tubular rollers l8 positively driven into rotation by driving belts 31 to discharge the blocks once the second support member is in lowered position.

.deposited directly on the discharge conveyor when the support plates take a lowered position below the level of the discharge conveyor. In this case the first support member is similar to the arrangement described in the first embodiment.

We claim:

1. In an apparatus for turning through a block-shaped unit having at least two faces at right angles to each other, comprising first and second support members pivoted about a common substantially horizontal pivot axis, said support members having a rest position on opposite sides of said pivot axis with their unit supporting surfaces in substantiaLalignment in v a common horizontalplane, said pivotaxis being at substantially the level of said common horizontal plane, means to feed a unit onto said first support member with one of its faces resting thereon and the other face in substantially vertical alignment with said pivot axis, means to pivot'both support members simultaneously but at different rates of angular speeds, first towards each other and then away from each other and such that, when such support members are pivoting towards each other, said second support member will engage said other face of said unit before said unit has been turned sufficiently by said first support member to tend to fall off said first support member.

2. In an apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further including stud shafts on which said first and second support members are pivotally mounted, said stud's'hafts spacedly disposed and coaxial with said pivot axis, the distance between theinner ends of said stud shafts being greater than the dimension of said units parallel to said pivot axis to allow passage of said units between said stud shafts. v 3

3. In an apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means to pivot both said support members include a crank arm pivotally connected to said first support member, to impart a sinusoidal oscillating angular'movement to said first support member, cam and cam follower means actuating said second member and means to rotate said crank arm and cam in synchronism.

4. In an apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said cam has a circular portion active on said cam follower means when said second member goes through its initial position.

5. In combination with a feeding conveyor and a discharge conveyor for conveying block-shaped units of the type having at least two faces at right angles to each other, a device for receiving said units carried by said feeding conveyor, turning said units through 90 and depositing said units on said discharge conveyor, said device located between the output end of said fed feeding conveyor and. the input end of said discharge conveyor and comprising first and second support members having adjacent ends pivoted about a common substantially horizontal pivot axis transverse to the direction of the conveyor movement and each oscillatable between respective initial positions and inclined limit positions, said support members in their respective initial position having unit supporting faces on opposite sides of said pivot axis and in substantial alignment in a common horizontal plane coplanar with the unit supporting surfaces of said feeding and discharging conveyors, said pivot axis being at substantially the level of said common horizontal plane, said support members in their respective initial position adapted to receive units from said feeding conveyor and to transfer units onto said discharge conveyor respectively, power-operated means to oscillate saidsupport members about said pivotal axis and to bring said 1t second support member to its limit position at a substantially 90 angle with respect to the first member before said first s'upport member reaches its limit position and to keep said two support members in said angular relationship until said first support member reaches its limit position and to thereafter return both support members to their initial position, whereby an article moved onto said first support member from said feeding conveyor and turned by said first support member, is engaged by said second support member before it tends tofall off said first support member, and said second support member, upon reaching its initial position, transfers the article on said discharge conveyor.

6. The combination as claimed in claim 5, wherein said power operated means include a crank wheel having a 'cam edge, a connecting rod pivotally connected to said crank wheel and to said first support member to impart a sinusoidal F oscillating movement to said first support member upon rotation of said crank wheel, the minimum rate of angular movement of said first support member occurring when the latter goes through its initial and limit positions, and cam follower means coacting with said cam edge and actuating said second member and means to rotate said crank wheel.

7. The combination as claimed in claim 6, wherein said cam edge has a circular portion active on said cam follower means when said second member goes through its initial position.

8. The combination as claimed in claim 5, further including means responsive to the position of a unit on said first support member to cause stopping of said feeding conveyor when the leading vertical face of said unit is in substantial vertical alignment with said common axis.

9. The combination as claimed in claim 8, further including a fixed transfer plate intermediate the output end of said feeding conveyor and said first support member.

10. In an apparatus for turning through 90 successive units having a bottom face and a side face forming a 90 angle, comprising a frame, a unit feeding device mounted on said frame, a unit discharging device mounted on said frame, said devices moving said units along a predetermined direction, the output end of said feeding device and the input end of said discharging device being spaced from each other, first and second unit support members located in said space and pivoted about a pair of common stud shafts disposed on a substantially horizontal common pivotal axis, transverse to said direction, the distance between the inner ends of said stud shafts being greater than the size of said unit transversely of said direction to allow passage of said units between said stud shafts,'said first and second support members pivotable between initial axis of said stud shafts being at substantially the level of said 'common plane, said first support member when in said initial position adapted to receive a unit from said feeding device and at its limit position inclined sufficiently so that the center of gravity of the unit on said first support member lies outside said pivotal axis so that said side face of said unit tends to fall on said second member, said second support member in its initial position at a level to have a unit thereon withdrawn by said discharging device and in its limit position inclined sufficiently so that the center of gravity of the unit in contact therewith lies outside said common axis, means to pivot said two support members simultaneously but at different rates of angular speeds, so that said second member reaches its limit position when said first support member has reached an intermediate angular position, means to maintain said two support members at a substantially 90 angle from the time said secondsupport member has reached its limit position to the time said first support member has reached its limit position, so that both support members will contact said unit during the time the center of gravity of said unit moves fromone side to the other of said common axis.

11. In an apparatus as claimed inclaim 10, further including a fixed transfer plate mounted on said frame intermediate the output end of said feeding device and said first support member; 1 

1. In an apparatus for turning through 90* a block-shaped unit having at least two faces at right angles to each other, comprising first and second support members pivoted about a common substantially horizontal pivot axis, said support members having a rest position on opposite sides of said pivot axis with their unit supporting surfaces in substantial alignment in a common horizontal plane, said pivot axis being at substantially the level of said common horizontal plane, means to feed a unit onto said first support member with one of its faces resting thereon and the other face in substantially vertical alignment with said pivot axis, means to pivot both support members simultaneously but at different rates of angular speeds, first towards each other and then away from each other and such that, when such support members are pivoting towards each other, said second support member will engage said other face of said unit before said unit has been turned sufficiently by said first support member to tend to fall off said first support member.
 2. In an apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further including stud shafts on which said first and second support members are pivotally mounted, said stud shafts spacedly disposed and coaxial with said pivot axis, the distance between the inner ends of said stud shafts being greater than the dimension of said units parallel to said pivot axis to allow passage of said units between said stud shafts.
 3. In an apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means to pivot both said support members include a crank arm pivotally connected to said first support member to impart a sinusoidal oscillating angular movement to said first support member, cam and cam follower means actuating said second member and means to rotate said crank arm and cam in synchronism.
 4. In an apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said cam has a circular portion active on said cam follower means when said second member goes through its initial position.
 5. In combination with a feeding conveyor and a discharge conveyor for conveying block-shaped units of the type having at least two faces at right angles to each other, a device for receiving said units carried by said feeding conveyor, turning said units through 90* and depositing said units on said discharge conveyor, said device located between the output end of said fed feeding conveyor and the input end of said discharge conveyor and comprising first and second support members having adjacent ends pivoted about a common substantially horizontal pivot axis transverse to the direction of the conveyor movement and each oscillatable between respective initial positions and inclined limit positions, said support members in their respective initial position having unit supporting faces on opposite sides of said pivot axis and in substantial alignment in a common horizontal plane coplanar with the unit supporting surfaces of said feeding and discharging conveyors, said pivot axIs being at substantially the level of said common horizontal plane, said support members in their respective initial position adapted to receive units from said feeding conveyor and to transfer units onto said discharge conveyor respectively, power-operated means to oscillate said support members about said pivotal axis and to bring said second support member to its limit position at a substantially 90* angle with respect to the first member before said first support member reaches its limit position and to keep said two support members in said angular relationship until said first support member reaches its limit position and to thereafter return both support members to their initial position, whereby an article moved onto said first support member from said feeding conveyor and turned by said first support member, is engaged by said second support member before it tends to fall off said first support member, and said second support member, upon reaching its initial position, transfers the article on said discharge conveyor.
 6. The combination as claimed in claim 5, wherein said power-operated means include a crank wheel having a cam edge, a connecting rod pivotally connected to said crank wheel and to said first support member to impart a sinusoidal oscillating movement to said first support member upon rotation of said crank wheel, the minimum rate of angular movement of said first support member occurring when the latter goes through its initial and limit positions, and cam follower means coacting with said cam edge and actuating said second member and means to rotate said crank wheel.
 7. The combination as claimed in claim 6, wherein said cam edge has a circular portion active on said cam follower means when said second member goes through its initial position.
 8. The combination as claimed in claim 5, further including means responsive to the position of a unit on said first support member to cause stopping of said feeding conveyor when the leading vertical face of said unit is in substantial vertical alignment with said common axis.
 9. The combination as claimed in claim 8, further including a fixed transfer plate intermediate the output end of said feeding conveyor and said first support member.
 10. In an apparatus for turning through 90* successive units having a bottom face and a side face forming a 90* angle, comprising a frame, a unit feeding device mounted on said frame, a unit discharging device mounted on said frame, said devices moving said units along a predetermined direction, the output end of said feeding device and the input end of said discharging device being spaced from each other, first and second unit support members located in said space and pivoted about a pair of common stud shafts disposed on a substantially horizontal common pivotal axis, transverse to said direction, the distance between the inner ends of said stud shafts being greater than the size of said unit transversely of said direction to allow passage of said units between said stud shafts, said first and second support members pivotable between initial and limit positions, said first and second support members in said initial position having unit supporting surfaces on opposite sides of said axis in a substantially horizontal common plane, also substantially coplanar with the units supporting surfaces of said feeding and discharging devices, said pivotal axis of said stud shafts being at substantially the level of said common plane, said first support member when in said initial position adapted to receive a unit from said feeding device and at its limit position inclined sufficiently so that the center of gravity of the unit on said first support member lies outside said pivotal axis so that said side face of said unit tends to fall on said second member, said second support member in its initial position at a level to have a unit thereon withdrawn by said discharging device and in its limit position inclined sufficiently so that the center of graviTy of the unit in contact therewith lies outside said common axis, means to pivot said two support members simultaneously but at different rates of angular speeds, so that said second member reaches its limit position when said first support member has reached an intermediate angular position, means to maintain said two support members at a substantially 90* angle from the time said second support member has reached its limit position to the time said first support member has reached its limit position, so that both support members will contact said unit during the time the center of gravity of said unit moves from one side to the other of said common axis.
 11. In an apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further including a fixed transfer plate mounted on said frame intermediate the output end of said feeding device and said first support member. 